Making Things Right
by beingdifferentisokay
Summary: This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to live her life ,get a job ,meet J.K. Rowling and congratulate her on writing Harry Potter. She wasn't supposed to be part of the story. And it was all the necklaces' fault.
1. Chapter 1

**_This is a re-post of the original chapter, and it has been beta read? from the awesome xXDayJuneXx_**

**_A/N_:So this is my new fic. It's a fan-becomes-part-of-the-storyline-and-changes-everything-up-in-the-end-fic .Very creative name right?It's not a Harry-OC love story. And I must warn you this isn't gonna be a fic staring a Mary Sue, who is beautiful, always right,everyone falls in love with her,everyone likes her and she is super powerful. If I wrote that I'd hate my self after. So if you want one of those stories this isn't one ,sorry. For the first chapters I'm just going to develop what J. has written to fit the story and then it's gonna stray more from the cannon we all know and love, so if you have a problem with that don't read the story. If you haven't slept through that extremely long and annoying authors note, I congratulate you and hope you enjoy the story.**

**_Disclaimer_:I obviously don't own this, come on people , J. does.**

Why did it have to be me of all people? It was the only thing that the girl could think of as she laid on the stone floor, gazing into the darkness above her, where the ceiling should've been.

The answer to how she had gotten there was fairly simple. She had come to the conclusion that she was just dreaming. This was probably her subconscious telling her she should stop reading the Harry Potter series so much, because there was no way she could have just travelled there using a portkey.

Here was what had happened:

She was lying on her bed, reading, when the first sign that indicated things would get weirder than usual appeared. As she was nearing the last lines of page 653, in her worn copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she started hearing a loud, buzzing noise.

Well, honestly, she had started hearing it around the time she started the final chapter, but it had been quiet, so she had paid no mind to it and continued reading. But it was getting louder and louder by the second and really distracting her.

She groaned and reluctantly closed the book, placing it on her lap. She made to move, but a sharp pain from her legs stopped her from doing so. She tried again, but her legs seemed to be stuck on the bed and every time she moved them, the pain only increased.

Suddenly the book on her lap started emitting a blue glow. She had no time to understand what was going on. She felt an odd sensation, as if a hook was pulling her from her naval, towards the book. She shut her eyes and after a few seconds, she felt herself hitting a cold floor.

Her heart kept hammering in her chest as she got up and started looking around for something to help her identify her whereabouts. Sadly, there was nothing of that sort. As she looked left and right, the only thing she could see was a long corridor with stone walls.

For a minute she stood there not knowing where to go, but the walls seemed to be closing in on her, so she sporadically chose left and began walking.

From the way things were looking, this was going to be one of those dreams again. The weird ones, in which she would wake up from and forget within an hour what they were about. She'd been having those fairly often lately.

Now, she wasn't claustrophobic, but the walls were now an inch away from either of her arms, making her feel suffocated and breathless. She started running, her long brown locks flying behind her.

After what seemed like centuries, but were probably seconds, she saw a light. She ran as fast as her legs would take her, with her head ducked since the previously non-existent ceiling was now just two inches above her.

When she reached the source of the light, she didn't stop running. She closed her eyes waiting for an impact, but it never came. The hole in the wall seemed to have absorbed her, and she was now standing in front of a brick wall, the sun warming her. She turned around and bumped straight into someone's large stomach, thus falling hard on her butt.

That moment was when it registered in her brain that she wasn't supposed to have felt it. She was dreaming... right? Slowly, she lifted a hand and pinched her arm. Hard. A biting pain momentarily surrounded that area.

So, she wasn't dreaming after all. Surely there was a logical explanation.

A huge hand entered her line of vision, and background noise rushed back into her ears.

"Are yer alright ther'?" what she presumed was a man asked.

She took the offered hand and stood up, dusting off clothes that seemed to be too big for her.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine, something weird just..."

Her sentence was cut short when she looked up and saw two brilliant green eyes staring at her worriedly, in front of the man who had helped her up.

Messy black hair was framing his face and there was a pair of glasses perched upon the boy's nose. He was wearing tattered clothes that were clearly too big on him. He was the exact replica of what she had imagined Harry would have looked like in his first year, and she wondered why they had hired Daniel Radcklif for the job when there was a Harry-clone in front of her.

She raised her head to look up to the man she had been previously speaking to, and once again, was amazed at how much the man looked like Hagrid. Seriously, where were these two when the film was being made?

"What's wrong?" asked the boy, and it was then that she realized she had been talking.

"Nothing. It's just that you two look a lot like... Never mind. Where am I?" she asked.

The most pressing matter was going back to her home not the wrong choices of the movie casters.

"Yer in Diagon Alley, of course!" said the Hagrid look-alike, and she fought the urge to laugh. "Are yer here to get your Hogwarts things, too ? I'm just helpin' young Harry here get his."

Oh, he is good, she thought. That's exactly what Hagrid would have said.

For the first time she looked around her and felt the air leave her lungs. They were standing on a street filled with shops like Eyelops: Owl Emporium, and Flourish and Blots, and she was sure she could see the white marble pillars of Gringotts far ahead.

All around her, there were mothers with kids, running around the shops, waving wands and carrying their bags.

It was too much. She felt like she was going to faint.

**This is the first chapter tell me what you think,but no flames please if you don't like , dont read. Constructive criticism is welcomed though.**


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N_: This is the second chapter. Since it's only the second chapter and she hasn't changed anything major yet, it's based on the fifth chapter that J.k. Rowling wrote,and I develop it to fit my story, I'm not claiming it's mine .If you find that offending, or something please don't flame ,feel free to leave the page ,an/or PM me what exactly you did not appreciate. As the story moves on it will stray more and more from cannon but for now I'm sticking to it. Don't you find Hagrid speach hard to write/ I do, so you will notice it's pretty much the same as the book's Okay too long authors note.**  
><strong><em>Disclaimer<em>:Don't own this as simple as that.**  
><strong>Enjoy<strong>

She didn't faint. She took some deep breaths and looked at their awaiting faces. She had to come up with something to tell them.

" You look like a first tear too. Are you lost?" said Harry shyly. I don't look like a first year! She thought exasperatedly .She was sixteen years old.

As she looked down on her body though, she realized she wasn't. Her light blue shirt was flowing on her body and her sweatpants were looser than she was used to,making her feel grateful that she tied the strings extra tight. The golden chain ,with the crimson rock hanging from her neck, now reached her bellybutton and she hastily put it under her shirt. It was an imitation of the philosopher's stone she had gotten a year ago that she never took off.  
>She groaned in her mind .Being back in her thin eleven year old body wasn't something she wanted to do.<br>Once again she was snapped from her thoughts realizing they waited an answer. She put her hands in her pockets and was prepared to say she wasn't going to Hogwarts ,when she felt an envelope. She took it out.

Miss Carter  
>In Front Of The Wall<br>Diagon Alley

She looked at it with disbelief an then looked back to Hagrid.

"So there is yer letter"he said happily.

"Yes ,and the problem is... I am... You see I don't know where to go, and I don't have any money..." She said quietly, the shock of what was happening not having left her yet.

Hagrid beamed at her.

" It's okay, yer can come with us, as I said Harry and I are just going to get his school things" he said patting the boy in the shoulder 'causing his knees to buck under the weight.

"Thank you very much .I'm Rose by the way" she said ,smiling at Hagrid, and they took off.

To her ,it was fascinating, how everything Rowling had written in her books was exactly the same. There was even the plump woman outside the Apothecary ,shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad...". She saw Harry staring at some boys , at the quiddich store, looking at the nimbus .

Rose for her part was amazed. Never, not in her wildest dreams, did she think that there was a chance she could ever see Diagon Alley, not walk through it. She didn't know how or why she was there ,and frankly she didn't care , because right there, that was her perfect moment.

As she took in everything around her in, she caught Harry's equally amazed gaze and beamed at him. Finally they reached the white building with the bronze doors.

"Gringotts" said Hagrid smiling widely.

Rose saw Harry looking at a creature wearing a red and gold outfit and her eyes widened when she recognized the long fingers and pointed beard . Hagrid who had seen them both gawking at it, continued walking.

"That's a goblin." He said quietly.

As they were about to enter the bank she saw Harry reading the inscription on the silver doors. Rose herself didn't need to look at it. She didn't have to read it to know what it said.

Enter, stranger, but take heed  
>Of what awaits the sin of greed,<br>For those who take, but do not earn,  
>Must pay most dearly in their turn.<br>So if you seek beneath our floors  
>A treasure that was never yours,<br>Thief, you have been warned, beware  
>Of finding more than treasure there.<p>

It had always been her favorite poem.

"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.

Seeing the terrified look on Harry's face she felt the need to laugh. Oh, how she wanted to tell him he would rob the bank one day. She stifled a giggle as two goblins opened the doors and they found themselves in a spacious marble three of them, walked up to the counter.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."

The goblin looked at Hagrid and then at Harry ,like he was sizing him up.

"You have his key, Sir?" He finally asked.

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, making Rose stifle another giggle when he scattered a handful of dog biscuits over the goblin's book .The goblin just wrinkled his pointy nose.

"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.

The goblin inspected it for a while.

"That seems to be in order."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

Harry and Rose looked at each other questioningly as the goblin read the letter carefully.

"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

Immediately when she saw Griphook she wanted to lunge at him for leaving Harry ,Hermione and Ron in the vault but she reminded herself that it hadn't happened yet and wandered when had she gotten so violent.  
>Hagrid ,Harry and Rose followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.<p>

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry and Rose asked at the same time. She already knew of course ,but asked anyway.

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

Griphook held the door open for were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. To Rose it looked like the one she came from , and she wondered if it was worth it to ask a goblin about it, but decided against it. She didn't even have a vault here, she doubted the goblins would help her without anything in return. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some difficulty - and were off.

Rose tried to remember the turns they took but it was futile so she just settled for enjoying the ride. She closed her eyes and let the air hit her face. She wandered if flying a broomstick was the same and promised herself to try it out if she even had a chance. Soon she heard Harry talking:

"I never knew," he called over the noise "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

" Stalagmite is the one growing from the ground upwards and stalactite is the one growing from the sealing" Rose answered and Hagrid shot her a grateful look for not having to open his mouth.

Suddenly the cart came to a halt and they climbed out.

Griphook opened the door. And puffs of green smoke came billowing out. Inside there were mounds of gold . Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze coins. She had never seen so much money in her life. The amount the had in the movie paled in comparison.

"All yours," smiled Hagrid . That moment she felt so happy for Harry. She hadn't grown up in a rich family ,sometimes they didn't make ends meet ,but Harry never had anything in his life. A huge grin was permanent in Rose's face as she turned to him to see his bright green eyes filled with awe.

The smile fell from her face though , when she remembered she had nothing here. She turned to Hagrid putting on a happy face not wanting to show her sadness.

" Excuse me, sir " she said remembering he hadn't introduced himself turned his beaming face to her.

" Oh sorry, I haven't introduced myself. Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys at Hogwarts. Call me Hagrid" he said smiling ,with his eyes twinkling.

"Okay Hagrid. It's just that I don't have any money to pay for my things. You see , I lived with my godmother and she recently passed away and I never knew my parents so, if I could borrow some money, I promise I'll work and pay them back to you and.. Sorry I'm rambling" Rose said quietly with a tint of red covering her cursed her eleven year old body and it's habit to giggle and blush.

At least I didn't lie, she thought. She never had met her parents ,they just dumped her on her godmothers when she was an infant. She had no problem with it. Her godmother was awesome. She had been old though . She had passed from old age six months ago, leaving Rose to fend for herself with some relatives coming to check up on her once a week. In her world her godmothers will left everything to her , including the house she lived in and a car that she had sold in order to have extra money in case something happened.

Hagrid looked at her with sad eyes ,and opened his mouth to speak but Harry beat him to it.

" I'll pay it for you. I have plenty and I doubt I need all of it." He said quickly .

"But you don't even know me!" Rose said with wide eyes.

"I insist" Harry said and with his wide eyes pleading like that , she had trouble saying no to him.

" I.." She said trying to find an excuse.

" You can pay me back when you can okay?" Harry said already seeing she would agree.

" Okay" Rose reluctantly agreed.

She didn't know how to feel. She knew the boy's future. She knew all the pain and suffering he would be forced to see and feel from a young age. And yet he was so kind. And she didn't exactly understand it , but right then she made the conscious decision, that she would make it better for him. All those people wouldn't die this time around.  
>Harry filled his pouch with some more galleons and they moved to climb the cart again.<p>

"Stand back," said Griphook importantly once they reached the vault. Goblins and their superiority complex ,thought Rose . He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.

"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook .

Harry leaned forward eagerly, but Rose pulled him back a little. When Hagrid picked up the grubby package , Rose's hand immediately went to her necklace, which felt pleasantly hot , even through the shirt.  
>In minutes , they were back in the sunny Alley, and Rose couldn't content her enthusiasm. She thought she would burst.<p>

"Might as well get yer uniforms," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's .

"Listen, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so they let him go.

Rose then shot Harry a huge grin grabbed his hand and together the ran towards the entered , both in a fit of laughter and Madam Malkin smiled at them behind the counter.

"Hogwarts, dearies?" she said, when they opened their mouths to speak so they just nodded.

"Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact. "

Rose froze at that. She had totally forgotten about Malfoy. Well , there was a marvelous chance to see if he was as good looking as fan fiction made him out to be.

She confidently strided to the stool next to him with Harry right behind her. Madam Malkin slipped a long robe over both their heads and began to pin them to the right lengths.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," said Harry and Rose just smiled.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said Draco with his bored tone. "Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in "

Rose didn't speak but her violent urges were resurfacing.

"Have either of you got your own broom?" the boy went on.

"No," they both said.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," they said again, and Harry looked at Rose as if asking what quidditch was.

"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"No one know until they get in," said Rose , who couldn't stand feeling so stupid.

"I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

" Mmm" said Harry and Rose was fuming. There was nothing wrong with Hufflepuff.

"I say, look at that man!" He said suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at them and pointing at three large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.

"That's Hagrid,he works at Hogwarts."

"Oh," said the Draco,"I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

"He's the gamekeeper," Rose almost growled .

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."

"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly and Rose couldn't have more proud if him.

"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead," said Rose shortly.

"Oh, sorry," said the other,not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."said Harry.

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families"

Rose was about to go on a rant about how stupid Draco was but was interrupted by Madam Malkin informing them they were done.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said Draco and Rose glared at him.

As soon as they walked out the door she started muttering under her breath.

" What's up?" asked Hagrid as he handed them the ice creams and noticed the dark look Rose had and the confusion in Harry's.

"That prick " Rose said.

" What happened?" Asked Hagrid and Harry explained.

"-and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in."

"Yer not from a Muggle family." Said Hagrid.

" I am from one and he is no better than me " said Rose angrily and Hagrid nodded in agreement.

"So what is Quidditch?" Asked Harry and a smile lifted her face.

"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like - like soccer in the Muggle world - everyone follows Quidditch - played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls - sorta hard ter explain the rules."

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?" He asked again.

"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but -"

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff" said Harry gloomily.

" There is nothing wrong with Hufflepuff it supports loyalty." Said Rose with an encouraging smile.

"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin."

" I'm pretty sure that's not true Hagrid, you can't judge a whole house based on just a small percent of people. That's why they go bad, because no one has faith in them. The house you are doesn't show if you are good or bad, just some personality treats." Rose said in matter of fact tone. " sorry" she said hastily when she noticed their gazes.

" Yer right if cours' but I'm just sayin' be careful with Slytherins, You-Know-Who was one" Hagrid said.

" Who is you-know-who?" Asked Rose trying to play the part of the ignorant muggleborn. It was one thing. To have an opinion about school houses and another to know something that no one could have explained to her.

"I'll explain it to you later, when we are going back,"said Hagrid and Rose nodded.

They bought their school books in Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books.  
>They had difficulty removing Rose from the shelves. It looked like a safe heaven to her, but when considering what happened the last time she read a book it really shouldn't.<p>

Then Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from a book called Curses and Countercurses .

"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."

" Who is Dudley? That's a horrid name!" Rose said trying not to laugh.

" My lovely cousin" said Harry sarcastically.

"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."

" Aw bummer" Rose said. She wondered if the trace on her would be lifted when she was seventeen here,or in her original time.

Harry bought Rose and himself a cauldron , a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope each .Then they visited the Apothecary with it's horrible smell. Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for them .

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked their lists again.

" So , what's left?" Asked Rose even though she knew.

" Just your wands, and I haven't gotten Harry a present yet!" said Hagrid and Harry blushed.

"It's your birthday?" Rose asked with wide eyes, while internally she wandered when she had became such a great actress.

" Yes" Harry said quietly and then his green eyes widened comically when she threw herself at him and hugged him.

" Happy Birthday Harry!" Rose said laughing at his expression, while Hagrid beamed at her back.

" Thanks" he said smiling widely.

" Sorry I don't have enough money to get you a present" Rose said sadly, thinking that next summer , she was getting a job just so she could buy him something.

" It's okay and Hagrid you don't have to..." Said Harry

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at - an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."

Twenty minutes later and with an almost tearful Rose when she saw Hedwig beautiful and alive they were walking towards the end of the Alley to the wand shop.

"Just Ollivanders left now - only place fer wands,"

Rose and Harry looked at each other excitedly a magic wand , that was what everyone was really looking forward to. To Rose ,it would be proof that this wasn't a dream.

**So this is the second chapter, what do you think, please tell me I need to know. Again no flames, don't like? Don't read. Constructive criticism is welcomed thought.**  
><strong>Bye<strong>  
><strong><br>**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So this is the 3rd chapter. Again it's basically Rowling's work with changes and additions. I also urgently need a beta. Anyone interested please PM or just review. **

**Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own .This As simple as that.**

**Enjoy your reading.**

The shop was dark and there was a weird aura around that made Rose feel as if there was someone watching her from behind the piled, narrow boxes.

As Hagrid sat on the only chair in the shop, Rose took her time looking around the store , trying to guess which wand there would choose her.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice to their left, and Rose, Harry and Hagrid ,judging from the loud thud, all jumped.

As Hagrid hastily got off the spindly chair,as Ollivander seemed to study the kids' faces.

He was an old man with suspiciously wide,pale eyes that seemed to have an eerie glow.

"Hello," said Harry with a voice higher than usual.

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry and Rose took a protective step next to him, even though she new nothing was going to happen ,you could never know what went on behind those creepy eyes.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course." He paused for a second and then..

"And that's where..."

He touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger and Rose saw Harry give a small flinch.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."

He shook his head and then, turned abruptly to the left and looked at Her straight in the eye, making Rose bow her head and start praying to God he didn't know Legilimency . She tried to empty her mind but failed miserably when random parts of fan fiction started popping in her mind. When she looked up a second later she saw there was amusement and curiosity in those misty eyes, she felt her cheeks flame, she waited for the questions, but none came . Ollivander just raced to the back of the store and came back seconds later holding a dusty narrow box, with some weird inscriptions on the sides. He took out the wand and without a word extended his hand and gave her an encouraging nod.

At first she felt nothing. She saw the smile in Ollivanders' face starting to slip into a frown. But just as he was about to snatch the wand back it started shooting purple and blue sparks and a sudden warmth eloped Rose, starting from her right hand's fingertips and going through her whole body.

She turned her stunned face, to see Harry's green eyes were as big as saucers and Hagrid's proud smile.

" I had been waiting for you" whispered the wandmaker who now had a strange glint in his eyes."Twelve inches, Rosewood, Unicorn hair, pliable"

Th process with Harry's wand went exactly the same as in the books. He tried almost every wand in the shop when finally the holy and phoenix wand was brought out,shiny and new, and shot Gryffindor colored sparks, evicting a brilliant smile from Harry.

Rose had been tuning them out , trying to figure out what the strange old man meant , but when Ollivander started speaking again she came back to the present.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar."

Rose saw Harry gulp , almost comically ,and all the color had drained from his face.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter... After all, He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."

She saw Harry shiver and gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as they finally made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, which was now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; and Rose exchanged worried glances with Hagrid. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station.

"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," Hagrid said, and it was then that Rose first realized how hungry she was.

He bought them a hamburger each and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Rose kept looking around, spotting the differences between the 90' and her time. Everything was similar , yet seemed older and newer at the same time.

"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.

Harry was quiet for a moment as if trying to find the right words.

"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander... but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry - I mean, the night my parents died."

" You are special Harry, everyone is special in their own way. You shouldn't worry about people's expectations" said Rose quietly

Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.

"An don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts - I did - still do, 'smatter of fact."he said.

They ate in silence for a little longer when , Rose thought it was time to ask.

" Sorry , but I can't help but ask, what happened, and why is Harry famous?" She saw Harry flinch at her question, and she internally scolded her self for the way she phrased it.

Hagrid looked at her with half anger, half pity and she hastily added:

" I'm sorry , it's a sensitive matter but, no one else can tell me " and even as the words came out of her mouth she wished she could think of another way to justify her knowledge.

"It's alright I s'ppose , ye should know" said Hagrid with a resigned voice and opened his mouth to speak, but Harry beat him to it.

" There was a war. A bad wizard was getting too much power. My parents where some if the people trying to stop him. One night he decided he wanted to kill them. He did but then he couldn't kill me. That night he vanished and everyone thinks I defeated him. " he said passively, as if he was talking about the weather.

" Oh" she said after an awkward pose, and then she almost had the urge to curse herself. Oh? Really ,  
>that's all she could say?<p>

The wait for the train was silent, and no matter how hard Rose raked her brain, she couldn't think of anything to say.

Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.

"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me... See yeh soon, Harry."

A second later, Rose couldn't manage the tension, so she threw herself at Harry again.

" I'm sorry for bringing that up, I promise I won't do that , thank you for everything , and you don't have to worry, I'm sure you'll be a brilliant wizard" she said in one breath and Harry chuckled , pulling her off him.

"It's okay" he said , amusement clear in his voice.

" Will you write to me? I have nothing else to do all summer."She said shyly.

Harry looked a bit taken aback at that. She guessed it was from all the years being friendless at the Dursleys. She was never the center of attention herself, but at least she had some friends.

His face wore a earsplitting grin when he spoke again.

" Sure" he said, " See you at September 1st"

The train pulled out of the station. When Rose saw Harry was still looking at them , she started waving frantically , and when he bursted out laughing, she felt her cheeks flaming.

Hagrid, who had been watching Harry go, now turned to her.

" You'll find yer ticket in yer letter, now I must go back to Hogwarts, Dumbledore, will want the... He 'll want to see me" he said and before Rose could utter a word he disappeared.

'Well , that was nice if him', she thought sarcastically . But Hagrid's absence wasn't totally unwelcome. She needed time to think. From when she had gotten there she didn't have a moment undisturbed.

But as she sat there at the slowly emptying train station, she started panicking.

Where was she supposed to go now? She didn't have a home or any money.

She got out of the building and started walking, trying to think. Nothing came to mind. She could try and find the Leaky Cauldron, but it's exact location was never mentioned in the books. She didn't have an owl, or even a phone. All she had was her Hogwarts letter. She kept walking, without noticing her surroundings, as she took it out. The yellow parchment felt strangely heavy on her hand . Inside she found her acceptance letter, her school list and a smaller piece of paper she hadn't noticed before. She guessed it was her ticket and she just closed the envelope again with a bitter smile on her face.

She used to think she'd do anything to go to Hogwarts. Now, walking aimlessly towards the inner city she contemplated what she'd lost.

Her grandpa was supposed to come visit that day. Hopefully bring her home with him. She wondered if he was worried. She wandered if he even existed in this strange place. Even if he did, she couldn't go up to him and say, 'hey , I'm your future granddaughter, can I live here for a while before I go off to magic school?' He would think her crazy.

With those depressing thoughts in her mind, she had made it to Islington.

When lifted her head she noticed for the first time, the sun was already setting.

She looked around her , the grimy fronts of the surrounding houses were not welcoming; some of them had broken windows, and the streetlamps gave an even more depressing light to the area, the paint was peeling from many of the doors, and heaps of rubbish lay outside several sets of front steps.

Her panic started settling again and every shadow , cast by a passenger , seemed like a threat.

She tried to read the name of the street but found herself unable to, because of the graffiti's adjourning the sign  
>She hastened her step and started looking to her left, counting the numbers of the houses so she could distract herself. She was cold and hungry and desperate. She wished so badly she could be in her bed.<p>

She was halfway the street when she halted. Almost comically, she looked back and forth between the two houses. To a regular passenger everything was normal. But Rose just couldn't believe her luck.

Because there was no number 12. She rubbed her eyes and blinked . Between numbers 11 and 13 there was nothing.

She sat there like an idiot , looking back and forth , for five minutes , before she decided it was worth a try. Either that or she would probably die of hunger if she was lucky.

She concentrated all her will power , closed her eyes, and thought about the message in the fifth book. Seconds after she opened her eyes and looked ahead hopefully. Nothing.

With a frown on her face she turned to leave. She should have known. But as she was about to walk away she heard metals clanking and looked back.

It was there. Number twelve Grimmauld Place.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and slowly opened the door.

**So what do you think? Review or PM me and tell me I need to know. As always ,no flames, constructive criticism is welcomed .**


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N_****: This is the 4th chapter. It's not incredibly long, and nothing exciting happens , just a filler chapter. Tell me what you thought.**

**_Disclaimer_****: J. K. Rowling continues not to accept my continuing requests to please, please let me possess her soul and write some more stories. However, she is a Gryvenpufferin (a combination of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin), and so of course, shed doesn't let me. So now I will sort all of her characters, and the only thing she can do is sue me! MWAHAHA! What does it matter that she owns Harry Potter, and I don't? No disrespect intended, just a bunch of bloody nonsense. Continue with your **  
><strong>continuation of reading. Thank you.<strong>

**_Disclaimer of the disclaimer_****: I do not own this disclaimer either I just liked it and posted it.**

She opened the front door , and quietly set her things down. She was facing a long hallway, which was instantly lit by a large chandelier and gas lamps. Its wallpaper was peeling and the carpet had been worn thin. Walburga Black's portrait hung in the hallway, curtains closed for now. There was also the troll-leg umbrella stand, which brought a smile on Rose's face thinking of the numerous occasions Tonks would trip up over it.

On one side of the hallway was the dining room, which featured a dresser holding the Black family crest and china. She guessed that it used to be sparkling but now, it was filled with spiders that made her inch closer to the opposite wall . She walked slowly and carefully to the end of the hallway where the stairs to the upper floors were ,her hair raising, when she saw the row of shrunken House-elf heads, mounted on the wall.

Vaguely , she remembered the kitchen location being below the ground floor, and trying to find something to cease the rumbling of her stomach she took a narrow staircase at the end of the entry hallway.

She had never fully appreciated the work Molly Weasley had put into cleaning the house until that moment.  
>The kitchen was a cavernous room with a large fireplace at one end and a large wooden table in the centre. There were shelves everywhere, filled with cobwebs and she could see a spider, the size of a dinner plate making it's way to the sink.<p>

Slowly , as if not to attract its attention she backed away and then ran up the stairs, passed the entry and only stopped when she bumped into rather someone.

She turned around and faced a small creature, with half closed bluish eyes, large ears, wearing, what appeared to be a pillowcase with modifications. Kreacher ,had a bulbous, snout-like nose, many folds of skin, and white hair growing out of his bat-like ears.

He appeared stunned for a moment, then his questioning ,bloodshot eyes caught her gaze.

" What is this human doing in my mistresses home. The noble house of Black hasn't had any visitors for a while. Is it worth to be here or is it Mudblood filth like what that ungrateful brat brought?"

" I'm Rose Kreacher, I came here because I din't have anywhere to go" she said trying to be nice to him

He didn't appear to have listened to her as he continued talking to himself.

" It can't be filth. How could it have found the ancient house of Black if it was?"and with that he walked away mumbling, as Rose just stood there confused.

" Bloody elf" she finally grunted and looked around. She found herself on the topmost landing which only had two doors . Walking closer she saw each door had a placate. These were the bedrooms of Sirius and Regulus.  
>She tried Regulus' door first, but found it locked. She didn't have her wand with her, and even if she had it, there wasn't much she could do.<p>

Slowly she walked to the other side and lightly pushed Sirius' door and found it ,surprisingly, open. She peered into the room from the doorway and saw it was exactly as described in the books.

His room was spacious with a large bed that had a carved headboard, a tall window with opened long velvet curtains, and a chandelier. The walls of the room were covered with so many pictures that it was barely possible to see the wallpaper. It was decorated with Gryffindor banners and colours that instantly made her feel warmer, when compared to the rest if the chilly had pictures of muggle motorcycles and bikini-clad girls. She found it to be just a tad disturbing, but if ahe had a familly like that she probably have done the same thing.  
>Walking further into the room, she saw , that right accross the bed there was a real moving picture, and she ran cliser to examine it. it was of the four Marauders:Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. She supposed they were on their 5th or 6th year.<p>

Remus was smiling lightly ,looking tired but happy. Maybe the full moon had been getting closer. James, had the messiest hair Rose had ever seen and in exactly the same places as Harry. They really could be brothers . The only difference was his hazel eyes and the way he held himself. When seeing Harry, Rose could instantly tell he had been mistreated, from his slumber shoulders to him thin frame. James was different. His back was straight, he looked well fed and smiled like he had no care in the world. Next to him, there was Sirius in all his glory ,with the same carefree smile , his longish hair falling in his eyes. He looked like nothing could break his spirit , and she was sad to realize what the years in Azkaban had really done to him. On his side, and a little in the back, was Peter. He was a slightly chubby boy, certainly not as handsome as the others , with a goofy smile, who every once in a while threw an admiring glance to the others.

She felt strange. Seeing them all like that,it was bittersweet. She had never met them, but they had always been her favorite characters. And she could do nothing to change their fates until now. Looking at the picture she silently swore that this time, Sirius would be a free man and Remus would get to raise his son. Wormtail had it coming. She would make sure Crookshanks ate him after Sirius was declared innocent.

She backed away from the wall and continued looking around. There were a lot of old newspapers and clothes thrown on the floor . There were also school books scattered around that she gathered , hoping she could use some of them if she reached her later school years.

She checked her wrist watch, surprised to find it still working, and saw it was now half past twelve. She searched the emptied drawers for a while and found an old Gryffindor sweater that came to her knees and decided she'd use this room for a while, since it was the only one with no spiders.

As she lay on the bed, looking up , she saw Sirius had curved a dog, a stag ,a wolf and a rat on the soft wood. For a while she just stared , contemplating the weirdness of her situation.

Whatever her earlier thoughts were, she didn't want this all to be a dream. Maybe she was selfish for thinking this way. But all her life, she wanted this. To be part of magic. And she had the means to save everyone. She would have to lie all the time , but to her it was worth it. These were the people that indirectly helped her go through her problems, even if they were just characters to her then. She didn't want her old life. Sure she'd miss everything very much, but she didn't want the drama anymore, all the fake condolences from people who didn't give a damn about her, the pitying glances, her estranged friends , here she was a nobody , she could make a new name for wanted to stay.

Then the was the million dollar question. How had she gotten there in the first place? By now she was pretty sure it was a portkey, but how it got her back in time she had no clue.

And how was her book a portkey anyway? She had been touching it for hours before it happened. Who would even make it one and why? And what was with the stone corridor?

All those questions were racing through her mind , as she changed sides trying to find a comfortable place. The constant rumbling of her tummy wasn't helping matters either. She wondered if it was worth going down to the kitchen , but dismissed the thought immediately. With all the spiders and the late hour ,it wasn't even a possibility. She wondered if Kreacher would help her. Suddenly she sat up.

" Dobby?" She whispered in the dark and then there was a cracking sound.

" Miss called for Dobby?" asked a small voice. .Dobby was standing only about 3 and a half feet . He had large, tennis-ball-like green eyes that seemed to glow in the dark room, a pencil-like nose and long, bat-like pointed ears and he wore a body-covering pillowcase. Only seeing him made tears well up in her eyes. She quickly composed herself.

" Yes, I'm Rose, I was wondering if you could bring me something to eat, if you din't have any more responsibilities" she said quietly.

"Miss is so nice to Dobby, Dobby doesn't remember ever meeting the miss before? How does miss know Dobby?" he asked.

" No, we haven't met before. I've heard about you being a good elf , and I needed some help so I called for you" she said kindly.

" Dobby will try and find some left over in the kitchen for miss Rose" and before she could utter a word he was already gone. She waited for a while , and minutes after that there was another cracking sound and Dobby reappeared with a chicken leg , a little bred and some tea.

" Dobby is sorry miss, but the kitchen elves couldn't give Dobby more. The other elves not liking Dobby very much, them think Dobby is strange" he said with a squeaky voice.

" I don't think you are strange" Rose stated , biting in the chicken leg. After she had eaten the small meal, she gave the plate back to the small elf.

" Thank you so much" she said sincerely.

" Dobby will be coming back tomorrow to bring some food for kind miss Rose" and he was gone again.

' Well, at least that sorts that problem out' thought Rose lying back to the pillows.  
>She slept immediately after that, tossing and turning the whole night.<p>

**So as I said filler chapter, but what did you think. Review or PM me and let me know. You know the drill, no flames,constructive criticism is welcome.**


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N_****:Hello people!You'll probably be glad to know, I've found someone two beta read my stories. Yay. Actually I found two awesome girls to beta for me. Now why two perfectly normall people would like to put up with my mistakes I do not know, but I'm not complaining. So go and check out ****_xXDayJuneXx_**** and ****_Jenni9981_**** . **

**This chapter was beta'd by ****_Jenni9981_****, so if you want to thank someone that you didn't have to stop and try understand what I wanted to say grammatically, or with spelling thank her.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly , I don't own this. Oh how I wish I did. But I don't **

Really, she should've seen this coming. She should've been more careful. But she had woken up with a sore back and bags under her eyes, all she had wanted was a glass of water and...

"Mudblood, filth, stains of dishonor, taint of shame on the house of my fathers -".

Yep, should've seen it coming, she thought, trying to close the curtains over the screeching portrait.

She had woken up, expecting to be in her double bed, at home, but had found herself in an unknown canopy bed with red curtains hanging around its frame, in a strange room filled with posters. She had panicked for a second and then remembered where she was.

It was while she washing herself in the tiny bathroom attached to Sirius' room, when she remembered her things were still lying on the entry hallway.

In fear that Kreacher would throw them out if he found them she had ran down the stairs, and in her haste to reach them, she didn't notice how much noise she was making until she heard someone screaming in her ear.

She had frozen for a second. When she slowly turned to her left her face twisted in horror.

Even with all of Rowling's descriptions, nothing could prepare Rose for what she saw. Behind the moth-eaten velvet curtains, there was an old woman in a black cap, screaming as though she was being tortured, her eyes were rolling and the yellowing skin of her face was stretched.

In the beginning, Rose, couldn't even hear what she was saying, as the crazed woman was yelling so loud she thought her ears might've stopped working. Gulping, she had taken a step back, and waited until the portrait stopped screaming.

That was fifteen minutes ago. She had given up all hopes of Walburga stopping on her own, and was now trying to find a way to close the damned curtains without touching the mad painting.

After a lot of struggling, pulling and pushing, she finally did it, and was very grateful that the other portraits in the house hadn't woken up too.

She picked up her bags carefully, and with slow steps, dragged the heavier items up the stairs.

She had reached the third floor, when the thought occurred to her, that there were indeed other portraits in the house, and they could report whatever happened in it to others.

Her eyes widened comically at the realization that Phineas Nigellus could come by any second. He would see her, and then she'd have to answer all kinds of questions to the headmaster, including why she was in a known dark family's and a convict's house, and how she had gotten there.

She contemplated her options. She could try and dispose the portrait, but then they would understand someone had been there, and she didn't even know where the painting was located, just that it was somewhere in the second floor. If she found it and attempted to silence it, again, there would be proof that she had been there.

She decided she would learn a silencing spell as soon as possible, and block all sound from reaching the second floor for good measure, and until then, she'd have to be extra careful.

It had been three days, since she had arrived at the house and she realized that if she wanted to survive, she had to leave the house and find a job.

The thought in itself wasn't that dramatic, since she had been working before, but who in their right minds would hire an eleven year old? She wouldn't hit her growth spurt for two years, and now, with her diet, she looked even more tiny and skinny than she did the last time.

It was still worth a shot, so she put on some of Sirius' old jeans and the now clean shirt she had arrived in. She tucked her necklace under it and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't look half bad. She always wore loose clothes anyway.

Now grateful for her shirt's size - as it was perfect to conceal her wand in the back pocket - she made her way to the door with quiet steps. As she walked out the door, she smiled, hearing the house concealing itself behind her.

She reached the start and looked around, wondering where to start.

The sun was low in the sky when she opened the door to Grimmauld Place again. She was tired but satisfied. It had been a long day. She had knocked on so many doors to ask if there was anything she could do for them. Most of the habitants sneered at her and closed the doors to her face, but she had managed to find two people willing to give her part time jobs,

The first was an elderly woman who had given her cookies and asked if she was willing to walk her equally elderly dog two times a day for 4 pounds.

The second was a busy couple willing to pay her 5 pounds an hour if she would watch their 3 year old child in the mornings.

She gladly accepted both, and looked forward to starting the next morning.

Dragging her feet up the stairs, she fell on Sirius' bed the moment she saw it. The food she had saved from last night was now long gone and she couldn't wait for Dobby to come back.  
>Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long. As soon as her head hit the headboard, the now familiar crack was heard through the silent room, and the tennis-ball eyes were now staring at her with concern from the foot of the bed.<p>

"Miss Rose, Dobby brings Miss food. How is Miss today?" he asked offering her some roast beef and pie that she accepted gratefully.

"I'm good Dobby. How are you?" she asked while taking a bite.

"Dobby had to iron his ears and break his hand today, Miss," he said, sadly pointing to the bandages on his bat like ears, which were now flapping around his head.

"Why?" Rose asked, wide eyed and alarmed.

"Young master's soup was too hot Dobby is a bad elf," he said. Rose jumped out of the bed and started rambling angrily.

"Has Dobby upset Miss Rose? Dobby will break his hand again," Dobby said, clearly upset himself.

"No, no, no, no. Don't do that," she said firmly, "I'm not upset with you, I'm upset with your good for nothing masters!"

Dobby started nodding his head understandingly, but then realized what he was doing, and grabbed a heavy book she had left lying next to her bed, and went to hit his head.

Rose was faster and grabbed it from him, and, with a bit of a struggle, managed to stop him.

"Dobby must punish himself. He almost spoke ill of his master," he explained soberly.

"No, you didn't. I did. Now, I bet you're tired. Why don't you go rest?" she said, trying to calm the still struggling elf.

"Dobby go rest?" he asked, alarmed, with tears in his large eyes. It was then she realized what she had said.

"Or go clean your masters house," she suggested quickly.

"Dobby goes to clean," he said, and with that he was gone once again, leaving Rose to eat the rest of her meal in silence.

After eating, she rolled over and fell asleep, anticipating the start of her jobs the next day.

For the last couple of weeks she had settled in to a routine.

She would wake up every morning at seven and walk Mrs. Anderson's dog for half an hour. On weekdays, except for Fridays, she would take care of little Jimmy for three and a half hours until his mom got home. They weren't great jobs, but they payment was good and they were easy.

She'd go back to Grimmauld place, and eat the leftovers from last night's dinner. Then, she went up to her room and try some simple spells that could help her in the long run.

She quickly found out she was hopeless at Charms. The only ones she could understand were Lumos, Alohomora, and, of course, the levitation charm, and that was only because Hermione had used them so many times in the books. History of Magic was proven really dull, and she wondered what it would be like with Bins as a teacher. She had tried to study her Potions book, but soon realized that potions were learned more with practice than reading the book.

Surprisingly, Transfiguration came easily to her, and she was now the proud owner of 10 needles which were previously matches. Defense wasn't much harder. She had practiced the knock-back jinx and they Full Body-Bind, and they worked every time after she got the hang of them..

After that she'd just relax for a while, and then, at eight, she'd walk Miss Anderson's dog again.

Until the day, she woke up from a gentle tapping on the window.

She looked up, to see Hedwig was piercing her with her large amber eyes, as if she was daring her to leave her waiting.

Hastily, Rose got out of bed, ran over, and opened the window. She quickly untied the letter from the owl's leg and opened the letter from Harry. She hadn't been sure if he would really write to her, but he had.

The scribble was messy and there were sloshes of ink all over the page. The messy letter brought a smile to her face. 

Dear Rose

How are you doing? It's difficult, writing with a quill. It's my first time, so the letters are coming out quite messily. Sorry if you can't understand them. I don't really know how owl-post works. I told Hedwig your name, but I didn't exactly know where you were, so hopefully she'll still find you.

Things have been better here. My aunt and uncle haven't really spoken to me since I came, and Dudley, the cousin I wanted to use the spells from that book on, is afraid to be in the same room with me. I suppose it's normal. When Hagrid brought me my letter he gave him a pigtail, and now when he sees me he runs away holding his bottom. It's quite funny actually.

I decided to name the owl Hedwig. I found it in our History of Magic book. I've been reading our school books, since there is nothing better to do here, and the books actually are really interesting. I doubt I'll remember anything though.

So what have you been doing? Since you don't have an owl I'll tell Hedwig to wait for your reply.

Harry

Rose looked up, and indeed, the snowy owl was seated on Sirius' dresser, looking at her expectantly.

Under Hedwig's disapproving stare, she ran around the room trying to remember where she had left her ink and parchment. She finally found them on the floor next to the bedside table. She grabbed a heavy book and sat on Sirius' bed, chewing on the end of her quill, contemplating what to write back. Finally she settled came up with her letter.

Dear Harry

Your owl found me alright, but I don't think she likes me very much, she keeps staring me, and not in a good way

Things here have been boring. I'm counting down the days before we go to Hogwarts. I can't wait.

I've been reading our books too, and I've been trying to do some simple spells so I won't look like a total idiot. Most of them failed but I am proud to say that now I can levitate small things for two or three seconds before they fall. Not that great, but whatever. I tried to look at History of Magic for a while, but I got a headache after the first three minutes. And I usually like history!

Does your ticket say Platform 9 and 3/4 too? I thought there was no such thing, but you never know with magic.

Write to me soon.

Rose

P.S. Writing with a quill is hard. Why can't we just use pens?

It's okay, she thought. Long, without giving too much information on what she was actually doing.

Hedwig was now unwilling to face her, probably because she didn't get a treat, and just had her leg out for her to tie the letter to.

And to imagine I cried when she died. What an ungrateful bird, Rose thought with an amused snort as the owl flew out of the window without so much a glance back.

Great, now I'm mad at an owl, she thought. This house isn't good for my mental health, Kreacher isn't helping matters either.

The crazy elf would pop up in front of her when it was the quietest in the house, muttering to himself, without even noticing her. At nights, when she dared to stay up a little longer, he would drag himself around and break things, making weird sounds that creeped her out. All in all, he wasn't a very pleasant housemate.

It was now the 18th of August, and she hadn't been lying when she said she was counting the days. She had made her own calendar from an old piece of parchment. She really couldn't wait to leave Grimmauld Place. She now understood how Sirius must have felt, or would feel. Even with having the ability to go outside, the house had its way to suck the happiness right out of her. It was like a dementor, only it was all around her. The peeling wall-frames, the cobwebs, and the long dusty corridors had formed a dark aura that surrounded the whole house.

She decided that once she went to Hogwarts she would try to form a patronus. She would make it her new school years resolution. Even a mist would be nice, just to make the darkness go away a little.

**Please, if you love Fred, Sirius, Remus,Tonks, Mad-eye and Hedwig, review and tell me what you thought. as always constructive criticism is welcomed but flames aren't so if you dont's like this, don't read it. Saves you and me both ,time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N_****: So this the next chapter coming to you edited by my awesome beta xXDayJuneXx. You can thank her that you don't want to take your eyeballs out when noticing my grammar and spelling errors. I think this is my longer chapter yet , I think. Yay for me. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited and or alerted my story, it is greatly appreciated. Okay now that I'm done with my rambling, on with the chapter. enjoy you reading .**

**_Disclaimer_****: You know that moment when you wake up happy and you're like." Ah ,I own Harry Potter today, and everything is right in the world"? Well , I don't. Because sadly, I don't own Harry Potter , and probably never will.**

On the last day of August, Rose was overflowing with nerves. Tomorrow was going to be her first day at Hogwarts, and she thought she'd burst of anticipation. Okay, so she was exaggerating a bit, but to her, it was like her whole life had been leading up to this moment.

She had told her bosses she was going to school, the previous day, and they had given her the day off, so couldn't use her job as as a distraction. It was now late afternoon, and she had taken to pacing up and down in Sirius' room to calm down.

Harry had written her earlier, asking if they could meet at the station the next day at around 10:30. She had hurriedly replied, yes.

She had tried to tidy up the room, just so she could have something to do, but she gave up halfway through. She had never appreciated TV more in her life.

Later on, she finally settled on the bed and fell asleep while reading an old, tattered copy of Hogwarts, A History.

She woke up at half past nine the next morning and was horrified to realize she had forgotten to pack her things the previous night. After she washed herself and pulled on the outfit she had worn to find a job, she started gathering the books, quills and parchment scattered around the room. She picked up the few clothes she owned, along with some of Sirius' old stuff, and threw them into her trunk too. She was pleased to see that it was only a quarter past ten.

Minutes later, she heard the crack signaling Dobby had arrived. They had agreed since she had no means of getting to the station, he would apparate with her at an alley near the station. Five minutes later, her huge heavy trunk was sitting by her feet, and Rose was standing outside the main doors of King's Cross , craning her neck and cursing her shortness, trying to spot Harry.

Finally, she noticed a mass of unruly, raven hair, and soon, Harry, himself, came into view. In all her years of being a Harry Potter fan, Rose knew every line of the books by heart, but there wasn't ever a time she remembered the first page this Dursley was, indeed, a large, beefy man, lacking a neck, and she hadn't seen a larger mustache before. Petunia was thin, with a neck that seemed to go on forever, and a pointy face, that looked more like a horse's would.

Harry didn't belong in that family. It was painfully obvious, with his scrawny looks and mussed hair.

As soon as she confirmed it was him, she started waving frantically, receiving strange looks from the passerby. It took a few seconds for Harry to notice her, but when he did, his face broke out into a smile, and he hastened his steps to reach her sooner.

"Hello!" he said excitedly, when they were close enough for her to hear. She noticed Vernon giving her a disgusted look.

"Hey Harry! Those must be your relatives," she said hesitantly, looking from Harry to Petunia, and Vernon and back.

"Yeah, my aunt and uncle," replied Harry with much less enthusiasm than before.

"Nice to meet you," she greeted, her sweet tone indicating she didn't really mean it. Vernon grunted a reply, dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart, and wheeled it into the station for him, with Petunia following him. Harry and Rose looked at each other, and with the girl still struggling with her trunk, they followed them.

Vernon stopped suddenly, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they? Have a good term," he said with an even nastier smile. He left without another word.

Rose noticed Harry was starting to panic and put a hand on his arm.

"Don't worry, we'll find it. You can't expect for them to have put the platform where everyone can see it. It must be something like the bricks in Diagon Alley," she offered.

"Maybe we should ask someone," he suggested.

"Yeah, but not that guy," said Rose nodding to her right where a mumbling guard was.

"Definitely not," Harry agreed.

Fortunately, Rose was still paying attention to the space between the platforms, and she saw a short, chubby kid holding a frog, talking to an old lady with a red bag, and a bird on her hat.

"Hey, maybe we could ask them. See, that kid has a trunk just like ours," she said, excited to be meeting Neville for the first time.

"Sure," Harry agreed reluctantly, and they made their way closer.

"Now, Neville, I know you aren't very smart, but Hogwarts accepted you, so I expect for you to try your best and be as good as your father was. Be careful not to lose that toad of yours," the lady, who was probably Augusta Longbottom was now saying.

"Yes Gran," replied Neville obediently.

"Excuse me, are you going to Hogwarts, too? Because it's our first time, and we don't know how to get to the platform," said Rose, when Harry didn't speak.

"Yes, dear. You just have to run straight between the two platforms," said the lady, sizing Rose up.

" Thank you, madam," said Harry politely.

"So, we just have to walk straight through a brick wall... that makes sense!" whispered Rose. Harry chuckled.

"So, do you want to go first?" he asked, clearly nervous.

"Yeah, why not? See you on the other side," she said with a smile.  
>She increased pace as she neared the wall, and soon, she was through. The scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead read Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Rise looked behind her and saw Harry running out from the wrought-iron archway. When he opened his eyes, she beamed at him. They had done it.<p>

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, and some fighting over seats. Harry and Rose pushed their carts down the platform in search of an empty seat.

They pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. Harry put Hedwig inside first and then heaved his trunk toward the train door. Rose got on the other side of it, and together, they lifted it and tucked it away in a corner. They tried to do it with Rose's too, but with all the extra books from Grimmauld, it was much heavier, and they had dropped it three times before a voice coming from behind interrupted their progress.

"Want a hand?" It was red-haired boy, with blue eyes and freckles all over his cheeks.

"Yes, please," Harry panted.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!" An identical boy came out of another compartment, and Rose fought the urge to cry tears of happiness in seeing him.

"Thanks," said Rose, blowing her fringe out of her brown eyes.

"You're welco.." George began saying.

"What's that?" cut off Fred, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you?"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"He is," said Rose, half annoyed, half amused.

"What?" asked Harry, obviously confused.

"Harry Potter, "chorused the twins.

"Oh," said Harry. "I...yes, I am."

The two boys gawked at him, and when Rose saw Harry was uncomfortable, she clapped her hands in front of their faces.

"He isn't an exhibition in a zoo!" she exclaimed, and the twins turned to her with identical sheepish smiles.

Then, to everyone's reliefs, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mom!" With a last look at Harry, and an apologetic smile at Rose, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry shot Rose a grateful smile, and they sat down next to the window where, half hidden, they could watch the red-haired family on the platform. Molly had just taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose," she said, and Rose fought the urge to giggle at how funny Ron looked at the age of eleven.

He tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

"Mom - geroff" Ron wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" teased one of the twins.

"Shut up," grumbled Ron.

"Where's Percy?" asked their mother.

"He's coming now."

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes and had an I-am-too-important-to-be-here look.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, as the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once -"

"Or twice -"

"A minute -"

"All summer -"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy , and Rose smiled, amused at the their antics.

"Why does Percy get new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said Molly fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek, and he left. Then, she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or-"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," grumbled Ron again.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Harry and Rose leaned back quickly so they couldn't see them looking.

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!"

Harry blushed, and Rose shot him a sympathetic look.

"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please..." Ginny was really obsessed, thought Rose.

"The poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."

"Poor dear," tutted the mother.

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on."

"That girl with him isn't gonna let us ask anyway." Harry looked at Rose once again, now spotting a blush.

"Good for the poor dear, to have a friend to support him," said the mother, nodding in approval.

A whistle sounded. "Hurry up!" their mother screeched, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, as their younger sister began to cry.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!"

"Only joking, Mom."

The train began to move.

Rose was about to speak when the door of the compartment slid open, and the youngest redheaded boy came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat next to Rose. "Everywhere else is full."

They shook their heads and Ron sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Rose saw he still had a black mark on his nose and smiled fondly.

"Hey, Ron."

The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Harry," said the other twin, "Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. I don't believe I know your name?" one of them asked, looking at Rose .

"Rose Carter, nice to meet you," she said with a pleasant smile.

"You too. See you later, then."

"Bye," they all said. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out, and Harry looked at Rose for support. She rolled her eyes, but answered for him anyway.

"Yeah, he is, " she said bluntly, and Harry nodded.

"Oh -well, sorry, I thought it might've been one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got - you know..."

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who-"

"Yes," said Harry. "But I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" pressed Ron eagerly, and Rose wanted to punch him.

"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, looked quickly out of the window again.

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.

"Er - Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"So you must know loads of magic already."

Rose was glad Harry was finally coming out if his shell. It wouldn't do good to expect her to speak for him.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"Horrible -well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out the fat gray rat, which was asleep and Rose just wanted to kill it right there.

"His name's Scabbers, and he's useless. He hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

"Well, I couldn't even afford one pet, it's nothing to be ashamed of," volunteered Rose, quickly, seeing Ron's ears going pink.

Harry then told Ron all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.

"... and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about be ing a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort"

Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people -"

"It's just a name. You shouldn't be afraid to say it." said Rose

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn... I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"Hey, don't think like that. You' re not the only one. I didn't know about magic either, before I got my letter. I thought they were just stories. And if the great Harry Potter is the worst in class, what am I supposed to be? Expelled on the first day?" she said with a smile.

"That's right. You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families, and they learn fast enough." said Ron, and Rose shot a grin at him.

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now, they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half past twelve, there was a great clattering outside in the corridor, and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door to ask, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Rose, was then painfully reminded of the fact that she hadn't eaten since the previous night, and the fact that she couldn't afford wasting money on candy. Harry, however, leapt to his feet, and Ron's ears went pink again as he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches.

Ron and Rose stared as Harry brought all of his purchased candy back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.

"Hungry, are you?" said Rose, trying not to sound bitter.

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on -"

"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "You know, with five of us."

"Go on, have a pasty, both of you," insisted Harry.

"What are these?" Harry asked, after some time munching a pumping pie, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?"

"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

"What?" Asked Rose.

"Oh, of course, you guys wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry after opening his frog.

"Isn't that our Headmaster? Can I see him?" asked Rose excitedly, and Harry passed her the card.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa - thanks."

Rose turned over the card and read out loud:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
>CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS<br>Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

"Sound like an interesting fellow," she said, handing the card back to Harry.

"Greatest wizard of all time," said Ron.

"He's gone!"

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting." he said, offering it to Harry and staring at the remaining sweets.

"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"

While Harry was busy staring at his cards, Rose hesitantly went to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned her. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor - you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger- flavored one once."

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.

"Bleaaargh - see? Sprouts."

Really slowly, Rose picked a red one, prayed for a second, and then popped it into her mouth.

"Cherry" she exclaimed victoriously .

They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee and sardine. Ron got blueberry, ham, dust, broccoli and olive. As for herself, Rose got pumpkin, spearmint, toffee and salt.

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now, there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment, and Neville came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "But have you seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," said Harry.

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him..."

"I'll help you look for him, if you want" said Rose, and he looked at her strangely.

"S-Sure" he said, sniffing a bit.

"I'll be right back," she said to Harry and Ron, and they left.

"I'm Rose, by the way. Thank you for helping me and Harry find the platform" she said cheerfully.

"I'm Neville," he replied, looking at her strangely.

They had reached the next compartment, so she gently knocked on the they entered, they saw there was one girl there, sitting alone. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes and had bushy brown hair, and two large front teeth.

"Hey, I'm Rose, and this is Neville. Have you seen a toad?" she asked.

"No, I haven't seen it, sorry. I'm Hermione. I can help you look for it though," she said hopefully.

"Yeah, okay, come on," Rose said, and then felt a bit like Dora the Explorer inviting everyone to an adventure to find Neville's toad.

"You guys can go search the left side of the train, and I'll go search the right, so we'll work more efficiently," she proposed.

The other two nodded, so she went back from where they'd come from. She had searched several compartments, and was quite bored. She decided to change tactics.

"Can any of you perform a summoning charm?" she asked bossily, and when one of the boys raised their hand, she turned to him.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Cedric."

"Well, Cedric, can you please summon a toad for me? A boy named Neville lost him," she said hopelessly.

"Sure!"

Minutes later, she ran to the front of the train and bumped straight into a still sniffing Neville. She wordlessly gave him Trevor, and when he stammered his thanks, she nodded in acknowledgment and left towards her compartment.

She entered and flopped onto the seat next to Harry.

"We found him. What did I miss?" she asked.

"Well, Ron tried to turn Scabbers yellow, but it didn't work," said Harry, and Ron's ears went pink again.

"That's normal, I think that must be a fifth year spell or something," Rose said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"So, what house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"

"That doesn't mean the whole house is bad. It just has a bad reputation," Rose said.

Ron flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault."

Harry stared, and Rose tried to make it seem as if this were news to her.

"Really? What happened to them?" she asked.

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

"What' are your Quidditch teams?" Ron asked.

"Er - We don't know any," Harry confessed for the both of them.

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world -" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking them through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again.

Three boys entered, and Rose recognized them immediately.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry, and Rose had her hand on her wand.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help there."

"Obviously, some families are better. They teach their kids manors. Hasn't anyone ever told you it is rudy to insult people to their faces?" said Rose, tired of playing nice with the Malfoy heir. He might turn out to be good, but he was a prat right now, and she couldn't stand it.

He didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheek. He sneered at her.

"I'd be careful if I were you," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit more polite, you'll go the same way as his parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. " He then turned to Harry. "You hang around with mudbloods and riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

The three of them stood up.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry.

"But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle - Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbets finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. The only good thing that damned rat ever did, thought Rose.

"What has been going on?" asked a girly voice, and Rose turned around to see Hermione, who was looking at the sweets all over the floor, and Ron holding Scabbers by his tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep-"

And so he had.

"You've met Malfoy before?"

Harry and Rose explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione, but before he could speak, Rose cut him off.

"Sorry Hermione. Can we help you with something?" she asked.

"I was just looking for you to tell you that you'd better hurry up and put your robes on. I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right - I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know? Bye, Rose."

"Bye Hermione," she said and then turned to Ron, who was glaring at her.

"Be a bit nicer next time, yeah? People have feelings," she scolded, trying not to sound angry at him.

The train did seem to be slowing down, so Rose got out so they could change, then the opposite.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Rose had butterflies in her stomach, Ron looked pale under his freckles, and Harry had a face like he was heading to his doom. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd in the corridors.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform. Rose shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry, Rose?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down the narrow path.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud, collective, "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was the vast castle with many turrets and towers, and Rose couldn't contain her gasp.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. The three of them were followed into their boat by Hermione, and Neville got in one with a black boy, who could be Dean Thomas. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face.

Rose faintly wandered how Hagrid could fit, if they had to duck. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which took them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

They clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here?"

Hagrid raised his huge fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

**So? What did you think? Please review and tell me. Constructive criticism is welcome, flames aren't, so don't like, don't read. And if you are bored, and have nothing to do while waiting for the next chapter, check out my betas' stories ! Till next time, you all keep breathing.**


	7. Chapter 7

** A/N: Next chapter! Hooray. Thanks to all of you who reviewed , alerted and favored the story, it means a lot. Special thanks to the person who edited this chapter, the amazing Jenni9981 my beta! Enjoy your reading.**

**_Disclaimer_: Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter. I just own... Oh sorry, don't own anything at all.**

A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood behind the door. She had a very stern face and Rose tried to imagine what she looked like in her cat form.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," she said.

She pulled the door open, revealing a huge entrance hall. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts. The ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. She led the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing closer together than they would be, peering about nervously as she gave them the speech about the houses and then left.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I he might have been joking," Ron replied.

"Of course he was. We're just supposed to put on a talking hat that will sort us," Rose told them reassuringly.

"Really? I'm going to kill Fred; he was going on about wrestling a troll," Ron said obviously relieved. Rose was tempted to add a "not yet".

Most of the kids were now staring at the door, like it would lead to their deaths.

Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air - several people behind her screamed. Ah, the ghosts she thought.

"What the -?" She heard Harry say behind her.

The ghosts were white and slightly transparent. They glided across the room talking to one another; hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. A ghost that she assumed was the Fat Friar was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"Nick said.

"Waiting for the sorting?" said Rose in a small voice.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling at them.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now form a line," Professor McGonagall instructed, "and follow me."

With Harry's black mop of hair in front of her and Ron behind her, she walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

She had imagined this strange and splendid place, but she had come nowhere close. The place was so magnificent that none of her ideas could compare.

It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets.

At the end of the hall was another long table, where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Behind her she could hear Hermione whisper, something about the ceiling.

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open up to the heavens.

For a few seconds, they all stood there looking at the hat and there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffis are true and unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song, and a huge smile lifted Rose's face. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"See, I told you. It's not that bad!" She whispered to Harry and Ron.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she explaine. "Abbott, Hannah!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. The Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

Brocklehurst, Mandy, went to Ravenclaw too, but then Brown, Lavender became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers.

Bulstrode, Millicent then became a Slytherin, and even Rose who had been saying all those things about Slytherins had to admit that this girl looked evil. Then, it was her turn.

"Carter, Rose" shouted McGonagall, and Harry gave her an encouraging grin. With sweaty palms and shaky legs she moved forward and sat on the stool. The professor put the hat on her head, and for a moment all she could see was black.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear, "Haven't sorted a traveler before."

Please don't tell on me, she thought.

"It's not my secret to tell. Now what is that Scarf of Sexual Preference?" the hat snickered a bit. "Well. Aren't you a difficult one? You haven't got a bad mind here, but you're not the studious type are you? There's talent, a lot of repressed talent - and a nice thirst to prove yourself to everyone, including you. There is plenty of courage here too. And you'll need it in order to achieve what you have set out to do. Interesting... This is taking too much time- better be GRYFFINDOR!" the hat said, screaming the last word out loud.

She took off the hat, gave it to McGonagall with a grin, and ran to the cheering table. She sat down next to the cheering twins, shook Fred's hand, and turned her head back to the sorting.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Finnigan, Seamus sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat, and she saw Ron groan.

Neville Longbottom was called, and he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Neville ran off still wearing it and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to MacDougal, Morag.

He sat across her and she smiled at him.

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once; the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

There weren't many people left now. Moon, Nott, Parkinson and both Patils got sorter, then Perks, Sally-Anne and then, at last, Potter, Harry.

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

She saw Harry gripping the edges of the stool and then a second later, "GRYFFINDOR!"

She started clapping and whistling. Harry took off the hat and walked towards the Gryffindor table. When he sat down next to her, he gave her a shaky smile and she saw Nick patting him gently on the shoulder.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. Thomas, Dean joined them at the Gryffindor table. Turpin, Lisa became a Ravenclaw, and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. A second later the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry and Rose clapped loudly with the rest of the Gryffindors as Ron collapsed into the chair opposite of Harry.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously as Zabini, Blaise was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Dumbledore was now on his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there, and Rose finally felt calm.

"Welcome," he said, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Rose laughed and dived into her food.

The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

For Rose, who for the last month only ate the Malfoys' leftovers, this was heaven, and she couldn't resist piling her plate. It was all delicious.

After she had eaten half of her portion, she started a conversation with Hermione about classes.

"I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else. Of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"

"I don't think we'll start with hard things right away. I've read the first chapters of the book and it's all about buttons and matches."

"Of course you'll be starting small; just turning matches into needles and that sort of thing. You're just first years after all," said Percy pompously from the other side of the table, but Rose ignored him and turned to Harry.

The talk turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

Everyone laughed.

"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased. Gran was crying; she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

Then they turned to Rose.

"Oh, I'm just muggle born," she said dismissively.

She was now sleepy. She turned to the High Table. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. She shuddered when she saw Quirell's absurd turban. Next to him, she immediately recognized Snape. Just as she was studying him, she heard Harry.

"Ouch!" he said loudly, and clapped a hand to his head.

"What is it?" she asked.

"N-nothing," he replied quickly.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous; that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts," Percy said dismissively.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry laughed, and she shot him a warning look.

"He's not serious?" he muttered.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Rose snorted, amused with the look of pure disgust on Snape's face.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which flew high above the tables and twisted itself into snakelike words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot.

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and, when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

They followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry next to her was moving slowly, with half closed eyes, but Rose was busy looking around trying to memorize the way to the tower. They passed by Peeves a d went up what seemed the hundredth staircase. At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she asked.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy.

The portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room; a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: a set of four four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

Rose put her wand under her pillow, and closed the curtains. She sat in her bed, with a stupid grin plastered on her face. She felt sleepy and full of energy at the same time.

I can't believe it finally happened, she thought giddily, and then fell into a peaceful slumber.

**So what did you think. Review and tell me. I've said it before, an will probably say it again constructive criticism is welcome and no flames.**


	8. SOPA

**Please read this.**

**This is not a chapter and I know it's cruel of me but it's really important.**

SOPA stands for Stop Online Piracy Acts and if they succeed all fanfiction sites, fanart and everything related to that will be deleted .

We need 25.050 more signatures for the Stop SOPA 2014 petition until March 19th or else, bye bye everything. Please take some time and sign the petition.

Links:

petitions. whitehouse. gov/petition/stop-sopa-2014/q0Vkk0Zr

**And if can't find it go google 'Stop SOPA 2014'**

**Guys this is really important please just take a moment of your time to do it. It doesn't cost anything and only takes five minutes. Spread the word.**


	9. Chapter 8

**_A/N_: Hey everyone! Long authors note coming it took so long to update. I have written up to chapter 13 it's just that the editing process takes loon. This chapter hasn't been beta'd so please forgive any mistakes. I know that the story may seem disappointing until now, because nothing is happening , but I'm trying to be realistic, and if you put yourself in Rose's shoes I think that was the way everyone would go about it. But nonetheless i'm sorry if it seems boring to you i'll try to make it more exciting.**

**Katiex11 ,thank you so much for reviewing, and leaving a name so I can reply, I hoped someone would get the AVPM reference! As for your idea, I already have the story outlined and the ending you proposed is a possibility. Don't mention it to anyone though*looks around for eavesdroppers***

**To the guest who asked about pairings. I have absolutely no idea! Lets have a poll. Review or PM me with the pairings you'd like to see in the story and I'll try to make them happen.**

**Also, some of you have told me bout getting someone to brit-pick for me. Now I understand where you are coming from, but I already have a bet and don't want to change her. I try to write it neutral, and that is the best I can do, sorry.**

**Yes, long authors note, on with the storyyyyy**

**_Disclaime_r:Don't own this.**

* * *

><p>Whispers followed them from the moment they had left the common room that morning. People went of their way to stare at Harry and and point at him. The boy in question, seemed to find it very uncomfortable, so Rose had taken to fixing everyone with a hard glare if they dared to point or whisper in her presence, and they soon stopped.<p>

Finding their way around the castle, was another problem. Even without the paintings, armours and changing staircases, the place was huge, and Rose was sure she would never get used to it. Some ghosts, like Nik , and the Fat Friar, were always happy to help,but not all of them. The Bloody Baron would grunt and glare if someone dared ask him a question, and Peeves would only show you the way to the third corridor.

Even worse than Peeves, was Filch and they had managed to get in his wrong side by the first morning. Rose thought it must have been a record .

Mrs. Norris turned out to be a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone ,except perhaps the Weasley twins and the marauders, and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick. Rose had spent the entire first History lesson wondering if there was any way to trap the damned cat with Fluffy for a night.

Before she was transported there, Rose used to think that all the lessons at Hogwarts were a thousand times more interesting and important than maths and science. And she couldn't have been more right.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch ,Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

Charms, even though it wasn't Rose's strong point, was one of the most pleasant classes. Professor Flitwick always greeted them with a smile and an enthusiastic wave, so it wasn't hard to like the tiny teacher.

Professor McGonagall was again different. But Rose had been expecting as much. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. Even though she knew that was going to happen too, Rose couldn't help but be impressed, and she decided there and then that she would make a big effort in this class. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle.

She controlled her breathing, pictured the match changing clearly in her mind and waved her wand accordingly. Just like the previous times she had tried the spell in Grimmauld Place, the match remained there for a second, then started to grow thiner and took a silver color. She had been watching it through all the process, and in that moment she lifted her head and beamed at Harry who was sitting next to her. He smiled back at her and opened his mouth to speak, when a shadow covered him.

" Very nice miss Carter" said McGonagal ,smiled, then lifted up the needle to show it to the class and Harry gave her a thumps up behind her back.

The class she had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but to her disappointment Quirrell's lessons were a joke. And that was putting it lightly. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. He told them, that his turban had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but no one believed him. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went. Rose who heard that rumor had smiled sadly and wished it was true

On Friday ,they finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once for the first time, and they all thought it was a feat worth celebrating.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Rose after checking their schedules , and cringing internally.

"Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them - we'll be able to see if it's true." said Rom with his mouth half full.

Just then, the mail had gotten used to this by now, but it had given Harry and Rose a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear ,have a bit of toast and glare at Rose before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls.

The first time it happened ,Rose thought it sad that there really wasn't anyone to send her anything, but dismissed the sad idea as soon as it crossed her mind.

This morning, however, the snowy owl fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note in between Harry's and her plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

Dear Harry and Rose,  
>I know you kids get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?<br>I want to hear all about your first week. Send an answer back with Hedwig.  
>Hagrid<p>

Harry showed her the letter and after she had read it, she borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled "Yes, please, see you later "on the back of the note, and gave the parchment to Harry who sent Hedwig off again.

The great atmosphere that morning ,wasn't to last though, and Rose knew that very well.

Potions ,took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call. Unlike him though, he didn't smile at each student. He only paused at Harry's name and looked at him with a sneer. Rose closed her fists and her face turned into a scowl. She knew Snape was a good guy. Really she did. But what he was about to do was unfair.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands and she turned to look at them angrily. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - " Rose had to give it to him though. It was a great speech."If you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Now it's ruined , she thought irritably.

She sat up and straightened her back, trying to show that she wouldn't be so easily intimidated.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry glanced at her questioningly, but she couldn't remember this one, so she just shrugged.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, and at the same time, Rose scribbled something on the piece of parchment in front of Harry as discreetly as possible.

"In the stomach of a goat sir?" Said Harry with a questioning tone.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

The professor asked again and She scribbled again.

" They are the same thing "he said

" That is correct, but I don't remember asking you miss Carter. Fifteen points will be taken from Gryffindor , and you both have detention next Saturday at seven."

Rose glared at Snape and murmured a quiet sorry to Harry.

" Now as miss Carter correctly mentioned, a bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons, monkshood and wolfsbane, are indeed the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. And for your information, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment.

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. Rose already knew the instructions like the palm of her hand, thanks to Pottermore, and she started working right away, not wanting to loose any more points.

Snape swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone.

She was stirring the potion for the last time,when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus.

The unfairness of it wasn't lost in her, it was everyone's first time making a potion , and Neville had made one simple mistake.

~  
>As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Rose was furious. Any sympathetic feelings towards Snape were now buried deep inside her , and wouldn't resurface any time soon. He had taken every chance he had in class to humiliate her and Harry.<p>

It was then that she heard someone running to catch up to them.

" You shouldn't have told Harry the answer, he ought to read it and say it himself, and now look what you've done, we lost all those points!" said a girly voice behind her.

"I was trying to help a friend, it's none of your business" snapped Rose harshly and hastened her step . A moment later she realized what she had said and turned back to the girl who was just standing there looking even more irritated than before.

"I'm sorry for that"she said and the turned away, thinking she should take anger management classes.

"Cheer up," said Ron,after a while "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you guys?" asked Ron,

Harry and Rose looked at each other and shrugged. Hagrid wouldn't mind.

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Outside the small hut , there was a crossbow and a pair of galoshes.

When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying,

"Back, Fang - back."

Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

As soon as she saw the dog, Rose started cooing and petting him, earning strange looks from Harry and Ron and an encouraging nod from Hagrid. It wasn't her fault she had a thing for dogs, she thought and continued playing with the boarhound who was now licking her hands.

After a while, she settled in a chair, with Fang's head on her lap and looked around.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it. Even thought the hut was smal ,it had a homey aura that made her feel safe.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles." I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

She had always wondered how Hagrid's cakes tasted like, but she regretted finding rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but they pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons.

They were all delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch "that old git."

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Fitch puts her up to it."

Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson, with Rose's input here and there. Hagrid, like Ron, told them not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he seemed to really hate me."said Harry

" Yeah, and now he hates me too,I shouldn't hang out with you anymmore you're a bad influence" said Rose pushing Harry playfully,earning a laugh from the boy.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron, looking relieved that the topic wasn't in the professor anymore"I liked him a lot - great with animals."

After a while , she noticed Harry lifting something and she inched closer to have a look. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST  
>Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.<br>Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.  
>"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.<p>

" Hey, isn't that the day we were there?" Asked Rose quietly feigning a baffled look.

" Yeah, it could have been happening at the same time" said Harry.

Hagrid had heard their conversation as it seemed, because he wouldn't meet their eyes for a while after.  
>Harry appeared thoughtful for a some time after that, and she knew he was about to figure it out.<p>

As they walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Rose asked herself if this was the right way to go about it. If she could go along with the flow and lie to her friends. She couldn't just tell everybody what was going to happen and have someone else deal with it. They would either believe her or send her in a one way trip to Saint Mungo's.

There was a reason she was there right? She could do this.

**This is it. What did you think?Review and tell me.**

**P.S:I just saw a post on tumblr about shipping James and Sirius, saying that Prongfoot should happen. I just find the name Prongfoot so funny I don't know why...*cackles like a maniac scaring everyone in a ten mile radius* **


	10. Chapter 9

**_A/N:_ This is the next chapter yay! I am really unsure about it, so some feedback would be great. So please,please,please review or PM me. A special thanks to all the people that alerted ,favorite or reviewed the story, it makes me fell all warm 's about it.**

_**Disclaimer: **_

**"As the official owner of the Harry Potter books, characters and plot, I declare that Fred, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, James, Lily and Dumbledore never died but lived a happy life." the crowd cheers and claps while I bow.**

**"Additionally..." I start speaking again when I hear an outraged yell.**

**"You don't own Harry Potter, J. does" suddenly the crowd starts booing and shouting a me to get of the stage. I start running while the people form an angry mob with fires and pitchforks.**

**So...**

**Enjoy the story.**

Days at Hogwarts seemed to pass by more quickly, and soon it was the middle of October.

Harry and Rose had served their detention preparing potion ingredients for the fourth years. Rose got another one when she couldn't hold her mouth and talked back to Snape.

When she woke up that rainy Saturday morning, everything seemed normal. She was planning to use the day to complete her Charms and History homework and relax.

She walked to the Great Hall, and sat by the Weasley twins. Then the post came. Nothing different. She was in the process of pouring herself some pumpkin juice when it hit her. She let go of the bottle and it fell all over her breakfast. She hardly noticed. She sat up with tears welling in her eye, ignored Harry and Ron, and ran. She passed the library, several staircases, abandoned classrooms and yawning portraits, until she reached a quiet corridor where she collapsed against a wall and started sobbing.

It was the 16th of October. It was her birthday. And she had forgotten. More importantly she had no one to remind her. She had no family here. She was alone. They were all gone.

With tears still falling from her eyes, she looked around her. There was nothing worth mentioning in the corridor; just a suit of armour next to a half opened door. Scared that someone would find her in this state, she quickly got on her legs and entered what seemed to be another abandoned classroom and closed the door behind her.

The windows were covered in heavy curtains and there were broken chairs and desks scattered all around. But in a corner, besides some stacked boxes, she saw an old mirror.

She walked closer, cursing her luck. Of all the empty classrooms, she had to pick this one? She couldn't resist the temptation though. Even though she knew she shouldn't have walked toward the mirror, she did. It seemed like there was something pulling her to it.

She stood in front of it and looked straight ahead, waiting to see her tear stricken face.

The only thing she could see was an old woman smiling at her. Rose walked closer until she could clearly make out the face.

"Nana?" she asked breathlessly. The woman nodded. Slowly more people came into the frame. There were some of her classmates from middle school, and most of the people in Gryffindor. She could see Harry clearly, standing next to a redheaded woman with stunning green eyes and a man with messy hair. Then they were all gone and it was just her godmother again.

Only this time, she wasn't looking at Rose. There was a little girl next to her. She had a thin frame, olive skin, brown hair that reached the small of her back , wide brown eyes and some freckles scattered on her nose.

She saw her six year old self smiling and hugging her godmother, laughing at something. She just stood there for a while, watching. The tears started flowing again but harder this time.

There was an urge to scream, to punch someone, to do something.

Because it wasn't fair. She had lost everything. She had nothing here. No one to comfort her and hug her. There wasn't anyone to tell her it was going to be okay.

And if she ever got back home, there wouldn't be anything for her there either. Everyone was dead, or just plainly didn't give a damn about her. She started wondering if God hated her.

She stayed in the classroom for hours, just staring at the picture in front of her and crying.  
>It was late afternoon when she had no more tears to shed and she decided to go back to the Gryffindor tower.<p>

She entered the common room half an hour later. The first thing she saw was Harry's worried face.

"Where have you been? What happened? We've been searching for you all day!" he said

"You even missed lunch. You never miss lunch! And you were supposed to help me with my charms essay," exclaimed Ron.

"Sorry. I just needed some time alone," she said quietly. "I can help you now, if you want," she offered in an attempt to change the subject.

For the next hour, she threw herself at work, finishing all her homework, even what was supposed to be handed in the next week.

Ron had gone to his dorm, and it was now just her and Harry, sitting in front of the fireplace. Rose was absorbed in watching the dancing flames when she noticed Harry's gaze was fixed on her.

"What?" she asked slightly irritated.

"What happened earlier?" asked Harry, clearly not intimidated.

"Nothing," she muttered.

"It was something. You left breakfast running like someone was chasing you and you came back with your eyes were all red and blotchy. It was obvious you were crying," he said. She marveled at how mature he was for his years. There were times were he would joke and be stupid like everyone else, but in moments like these he was always serious and composed, more than any eleven year old should be.

"It's nothing important," she said dismissively, but he kept staring at her. Finally, she relented.

"It's my birthday today" she said quietly. His eyes widened.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know..." He started but she stopped him.

"It's not that. You couldn't have known. It's just ... no one wrote to me. I mean, there's no one to write to me anymore" she said tearing up again. He nodded, came up to her and patted her on the back, like he didn't know what else to do.

She had to laugh at the awkward look on his face. Her laughing seemed to break the tension and he gave a small smile too.

She stood up and threw herself at him for the third time nearly knocking him backwards. She held on for a few seconds, then pulled back to see the awkward look was back.

"Next time give me a heads up before you hug me, okay?" he said in a light tone, and she nodded , laughing harder.

**Yeah, well that's it. What did you think? Hate it, love it? Review and tell meeee.**

**P.S.: You thought I had forgotten about it huh? NO flames ,but constructive criticism will be welcomed in open arms.**


	11. Chapter 10

**_A/N:_ Hello everyone, I know updates have been slower lately but I was sick and sore throat hurts like a bitch. This chapter was edited by the lovely _Jenni9981_ whom I owe a huge thanks to. Also thanks to the people who alerted ,reviewed and favorited the story it means a lot. So continue doing it. Like, please. **

**_Disclaimer_: I don't own Harry Potter, that's just way to much power to abuse.**

When she had started school, she had promised herself that she would be as nice as possible to everyone, without counting what they did in the books. Despite it being hard, it wasn't impossible, except for one person: Draco Malfoy.

She knew, that deep down, he wasn't a bad person, just much misguided. The only reason he behaved the way he did was just because his father had instructed him to, and he held the man in a high pedestal. And really she understood that. But when the little brat went out of his way just to insult her and her friends, there wasn't much she could do. She told herself she could handle it, since they only had to tolerate him once a week at Potions.

That changed when Harry spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room about flying lessons and beckoned her and Ron over. Groaning internally, she dragged her feet next to him and looked at him expectantly.

Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday - and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together. She groaned again, aloud this time. She knew it was going to happen, but it didn't make it any less annoying.

"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted; to make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," Ron reasoned, "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

"What are the professors thinking anyway? They know how we are with the Slytherins; there's bound to be trouble. What, do they think that if they make us have lessons with them then we'll magically be friends?" She asked rhetorically, and Harry nodded as they made their way to the Great Hall.

Hermione was nervous. Everyone could see it. She was rambling, her hands were shaking, and she kept biting her lip.

And Rose shared that sentiment. But where Hermione had dread, Rose was full of nervous anticipation.

This was something you couldn't learn out of the books, and she just couldn't wait to try it.

On Thursday morning, when the post came, she noticed Harry was looking glum. She followed his line of sight, and her gaze fell upon Malfoy, who was opening another package from home that his now familiar eagle owl had brought. He opened it with deliberately slow and exaggerated moves to try to gain Harry's attention. She simply glared at Malfoy, then turned to Harry who was now moving his breakfast around on his plate.

"Ignore him" she said quietly, and he gave her a nod in acknowledgement.

At that moment a barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them the glass ball.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things - this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red - oh..." His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "You've forgotten something..."

"That's kind of stupid. It should show you what you've forgotten," she said, absently looking behind Neville's back, where soon enough, Malfoy's narrow face came to view.

He snatched the Remembrall out of his hand and Harry, Ron, and Rose jumped to their feet immediately. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy; it was obvious and she was determined to protect them if needed. Professor McGonagall seemed to have sensed it too and was there in a flash. If she had to guess, Rose would say that after all the years of trouble making students, the stern professor could spot trouble a mile away.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table. "Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

At three-thirty that afternoon, the Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns towards a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground.

Madam Hooch arrived seconds after. She had short, gray hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked, "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up!"

Rose hurriedly took a place next to a broom and didn't even look at it before eagerly turning to the professor for further instructions.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!"'

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Her broom didn't jump into her hand at once like Harry's did; instead, it gave a gentle jerk and flew halfway to her hand before falling to the ground again. "UP!" she said again, using a more commanding tone. She was surprised when it came straight to her palm.

She turned to Harry, who was beaming at her, and then to Ron, who now, after the third try, had his broom held proudly in his outstretched hand.

After five minutes, when everyone had gotten their brooms, even those who had to pick it up, see Neville and Hermione, Madam Hooch showed them how to mount the brooms without sliding off the end. The Gryffindors all gave a delighted grin when Hooch told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.

"Now when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," she said, "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"

But Neville, as expected, nervous and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle - twelve feet - twenty feet. Rose saw his scared white face look down at the ground, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and-

WHAM - a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay face down on the grass in a heap. Rose flinched at the sound. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily towards the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," she muttered. "Come on, boy - it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you are to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot when Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Rose at the same time as Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl, "I expected it from you; figures a mudblood would stick up for a squib," she said to Rose with a sneer, and the ones who knew what the word meant gasped, "but I never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

Harry was glaring at Pansy even though he had no idea what she had just said, Ron was red faced and had taken out his wand, and Hermione was trying to restrain Rose from attacking the pug faced girl.

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him!"

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find; how about up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying; he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom. "No!" shouted Hermione Granger, "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble." Hermione was distracted yelling at Harry, so Rose escaped from her grip, took out her wand and stalked towards the no-cowering Pansy Parkinson. She hit her with a Leg-Locker curse and was about to do more when she heard Professor McGonagal's shrill voice yelling at her and Harry to follow her. She turned around and saw the woman's face was red and her lips had formed a thin line. Gulping, she saw Harry's face was white, and he was still clutching the Remembrall.

"Never - in all my time at Hogwarts -"

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock and her glasses flashed furiously, "-how dare you - attacking another student - might have broken your neck -"

"It wasn't their fault, Professor -"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil."

"But Malfoy and Parkinson-"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, Carter, you two will follow me."

She looked at Harry. He wore a hopeless expression. He probably thought he'd be expelled. She gave him a weak encouraging smile that looked more like a grimace.

Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at them and they were jogging to keep up.

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with them trotting behind her.

Even in her state, Rose was tempted to laugh with the miserable look on her friend's face. She wasn't so worried about the detention she was about to get; she was just upset that it was her favorite professor who would be giving it to her. McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. Harry and Rose, each lost in their own thoughts, didn't notice and crashed to each other.

She opened the door and poked her head inside.

"Excuse me Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

"Follow me," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously between her and Harry.

"In here." Professor McGonagall led them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.

"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out, cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the three students.

"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found you a Seeker."

Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight, and Rose grinned at Harry excitedly.

"Are you serious, Professor?"

"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"

Harry nodded silently.

"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood, "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.

"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.

"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.

"He's just the right build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him, "Light - speedy - we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor - a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks..."

Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry. "I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."

Then she suddenly smiled.

"Your father would have been proud," she said, "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself." Harry gave an earsplitting grin.

"Now you two can leave; I need to talk to Miss Carter," Rose's smile faltered and she nodded to Harry.

"I'll wait outside." He whispered as he left. "Now Miss Carter, what compelled you to attack Parkinson?" She looked stern again.

"She called me a mudblood and Neville a Squib," Rose said looking the professor straight in the eye as she spoke. She wasn't ashamed of what she'd done; she'd do it again if she had the choice. McGonagall's expression softened a bit at that.

"I understand, but it still didn't give you the right to attack a fellow student. You'll have detention with me after dinner."

"You guys are joking."

It was dinnertime and Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

"Seeker?" he said. "But first years never - you must be the youngest house player in-" Ron started. "About a century," said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."

Ron was so impressed that he just sat and gaped at Harry.

"I start training next week," said Harry, "Only don't tell anyone; Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Fred and George Weasley came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice, "Wood told us. We're on the team too - Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year!" said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry. Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Figures. I got detention for attacking a fellow student" she said, trying to imitate McGonagal's strict tone, but failing, "and the idiot gets a spot on the Quiddich team," she finished with a smile to show she was joking.

"Miss Carter, I'm appalled," said George in a horrified voice.

"It's your third detention, and you've been here for only two months!" continued Fred, sounding equally horrified.

"This is no proper behavior for a lady."

"Yes, we're all very shocked" said Rose, laughing.

"Anyway, we've got to go; Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy, "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around, "I'm his second; who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight, all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

Once Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.

"What is a wizard's duel?" asked Harry, "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie.

Catching the look on Harry's face, Rose rolled her eyes.

"Oh come off it Harry! You won't die; none of you know any actual spells"

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"I'll hex him for you" said Rose playing with her wand. Ron nodded

"And if that doesn't work, throw it away and punch him on the nose," the boy suggested.

"Excuse me."

They looked up and saw Hermione.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron and Rose glared at him.

"Ignore him. Can we help you with something?" asked Rose.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying -"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered, and Rose kicked him under the table.

"- and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night! Think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, which you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

"Good-bye," said Ron, and they both got up. Rose shot an apologetic look at the girl and went after them.

"That was rude," Rose said once she caught up with them. They both shrugged indifferently, even though Harry looked a bit unsure. They walked to the portrait in silence.

"I'll meet you in the common room at ten thirty, when I'm done with my detention okay?" she said, and when she received two nods, she turned around and headed towards McGonagall's classroom.

**So? Did you like it? Reviews make the sun shine .Constructive criticism is welcomed but flames aren't. So bye for now, I'll try to update as soon as possible.**


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